Travel Suitcase Assembly

ABSTRACT

A travel suitcase assembly includes a suitcase that has a first portion which is hingedly coupled to a second portion. A first closure is coupled to the first portion and a second closure is coupled to the second portion. The second closure is matable to the first closure when the suitcase is closed to inhibit the suitcase from opening. A divider is integrated into the second portion of the suitcase such that the divider defines a primary storage compartment and a secondary storage compartment in the suitcase. The divider is comprised of a translucent material to facilitate contents of the secondary storage compartment to be visible.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to suitcase devices and more particularly pertains to a new suitcase device for storing clean clothes separately from dirty clothes. The device includes a suitcase which comprises a first portion hingedly coupled to a second portion. A divider is positioned in the second portion to define a pair of storage compartments in the suitcase. In this way clean clothes and dirty clothes can be stored in respective compartments to keep the clean clothes and dirty clothes separated.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to suitcase devices including a hanger bag that has pockets integrated therein for storing clothing. The prior art discloses a variety of hanging storage devices that have a plurality of pouches for storing a variety of objects. The prior art discloses a variety of pocket devices for storing a garment. The prior art further discloses a luggage insert which has a plurality of pockets for storing a variety of objects in an article of luggage.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a suitcase that has a first portion which is hingedly coupled to a second portion. A first closure is coupled to the first portion and a second closure is coupled to the second portion. The second closure is matable to the first closure when the suitcase is closed to inhibit the suitcase from opening. A divider is integrated into the second portion of the suitcase such that the divider defines a primary storage compartment and a secondary storage compartment in the suitcase. The divider is comprised of a translucent material to facilitate contents of the secondary storage compartment to be visible.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a travel suitcase assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure showing a suitcase being opened.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a suitcase being closed.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a suitcase being opened.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new suitcase device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 , the travel suitcase assembly 10 generally comprises a suitcase 12 that has a first portion 14 which is hingedly coupled to a second portion 16. The first portion 14 has a top edge 18 defining an opening 20 into the first portion 14. The second portion 16 has a top wall 22 and a perimeter wall 24 extending away from the top wall 22, and the perimeter wall 24 has an inside surface 26 and a bottom edge 28 defining an opening 30 into the second portion 16. The top edge 18 of the first portion 14 has a back side 32 and the bottom edge 28 of the perimeter wall 24 has a rear side 34. Furthermore, the rear side 34 is hingedly coupled to the back side 32, and the top edge 18 abuts the bottom edge 28 when the suitcase 12 is closed. The suitcase 12 may include rollers, a telescopic handle, a grip and other mechanical features of a conventional suitcase 12. Additionally, the suitcase 12 may be a hard shell suitcase 12 or a soft side suitcase 12.

A first closure 36 is coupled to the first portion 14 and the first closure 36 extends around a substantial perimeter of the top edge 18 of the first portion 14. A second closure 38 is coupled to the second portion 16 and the second closure 38 is matable to the first closure 36 when the suitcase 12 is closed to inhibit the suitcase 12 from opening. The second closure 38 extends around a substantial perimeter of the bottom edge 28 of the perimeter wall 24. Moreover, each of the first closure 36 and the second closure 38 may comprise complementary portions of a zipper or other type of mechanical closure.

A divider 40 is integrated into the second portion 16 of the suitcase 12 such that the divider 40 defines a primary storage compartment 42 in the suitcase 12 when the suitcase 12 is closed. In this way the primary storage compartment 42 can store clean clothing and other items commonly associated with travel. The divider 40 defines a secondary storage compartment 44 in the second portion 16 that is discrete from the primary storage compartment 42. In this way the secondary storage compartment 44 can store dirty clothes, or other items a user might wish to keep separate from the clothing in the primary storage compartment 42.

The divider 40 is comprised of a translucent material to facilitate contents of said secondary storage compartment 44 to be visible. The divider 40 has an outer edge 46 and the outer edge 46 is bonded to the inside surface 26 of the perimeter wall 24 of the second portion 16. The divider 40 is positioned between the bottom edge 28 of the perimeter wall 24 and the top wall 22 thereby defining the secondary storage compartment 44 between the divider 40 and the top wall 22. Moreover, the primary storage compartment 42 is defined between the divider 40 and a lower wall of the first portion 14 when the suitcase 12 is closed.

The divider 40 has a cut 48 extending through the divider 40 to access the secondary storage compartment 44. The cut 48 extends substantially between a first lateral side 50 and a second lateral side 52 of the perimeter wall 24 of the second portion 16. A third closure 54 is movably integrated into the divider 40 and the third closure 54 is aligned with the cut 48. The third closure 54 is positionable between an open condition and a closed condition for opening and closing the cut 48. Additionally, the third closure 54 may comprise a zipper or other type of mechanical closure.

A pocket 56 is coupled to the divider 40 to discretely store items. The pocket 56 may be comprised of a fluid impermeable material thereby facilitating the pocket 56 to store soap, toothpaste and other types of fluids commonly associated with travel. The pocket 56 is positioned on a bottom surface 58 of the top wall 22 of the second portion 16 such that the pocket 56 is positioned in the secondary storage compartment 44. The pocket 56 includes a flap 60 that is movably integrated into the pocket 56. The flap 60 is positionable to cover an entrance 62 into the pocket 56 and the flap 60 is positionable to expose the entrance 62. A fastener 64 is coupled to the flap 60 and the fastener 64 releasably engages the pocket 56 when the flap 60 is positioned to cover the entrance 62. The fastener 64 may comprise a snap, a hook and loop fastener or other type of releasable fastener.

In an alternative embodiment 66 as is most clearly shown in FIG. 5 , a pouch 68 may be provided which has a first wall 70 and a second wall 72. The first wall 70 may have a storage compartment 74 integrated into the first wall 70. Additionally, the storage compartment 74 may be discrete from an interior of the pouch 68 when the pouch 68 is closed. The first wall 70 may be comprised of an odor absorbing material thereby facilitating odors associated with soiled undergarments, for example, to be absorbed during travel. The pouch 68 may include closures 76, such as zippers or the like, that are distributed on the pouch 68 and the storage compartment 74 for opening and closing the pouch 68 and the storage compartment 74.

In use, the primary storage compartment 42 can be filled with clothing and other items for travel in preparation for a trip. In this way the suitcase 12 performs in the conventional manner of suitcases. Dirty clothes can be deposited in the secondary storage compartment 44 during the duration of travel. In this way the dirty clothes can be kept separated from clean clothing. Moreover, the dirty clothes can be removed from the secondary storage compartment 44 when travel is finished for laundering. In this way the overall experience of traveling is more organized and efficient with respect to managing clean and dirty clothing.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A travel suitcase assembly for separating clean clothes from dirty clothes, said assembly comprising: a suitcase having a first portion being hingedly coupled to a second portion; a first closure being coupled to said first portion; a second closure being coupled to said second portion, said second closure being matable to said first closure when said suitcase is closed to inhibit said suitcase from opening; a divider being integrated into said second portion of said suitcase such that said divider defines a primary storage compartment in said suitcase when said suitcase is closed wherein said primary storage compartment is configured to store clean clothing, said divider defining a secondary storage compartment in said second portion being discrete from said primary storage compartment wherein said secondary storage compartment is configured to store dirty clothes, said divider being comprised of a translucent material wherein said divider is configured to facilitate the dirty clothing to be visible in said secondary storage compartment; and a pocket being coupled to said divider wherein said pocket is configured to discretely store items.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said first portion has a top edge defining an opening into said first portion, said second portion having a top wall and a perimeter wall extending away from said top wall, said perimeter wall having an inside surface and a bottom edge defining an opening into said second portion, said top edge of said first portion having a back side, said bottom edge of said perimeter wall having a rear side, said rear side being hingedly coupled to said back side, said top edge abutting said bottom edge when said suitcase is closed; said first closure extends around a substantial perimeter of said top edge of said first portion; said second closure extends around a substantial perimeter of said bottom edge of said perimeter wall; and said divider has an outer edge, said outer edge being bonded to said inside surface of said perimeter wall of said second portion.
 3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said divider is positioned between said bottom edge of said perimeter wall and said top wall thereby defining said secondary storage compartment between said divider and said top wall, said primary storage compartment being defined between said divider and a lower wall of said first portion when said suitcase is closed.
 4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said divider has a cut extending through said divider to access said secondary storage compartment, said cut extending substantially between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of a perimeter wall of said second portion; said assembly includes a third closure being movably integrated into said divider, said third closure being aligned with said cut, said third closure being positionable between an open condition and a closed condition for opening and closing said cut.
 5. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said pocket is positioned on a bottom surface of said top wall of said second portion such that said pocket is positioned in said secondary storage compartment, said pocket including a flap being movably integrated into said pocket, said flap being positionable to cover an entrance into said pocket, said flap being positionable to expose said entrance; and a fastener being coupled to said flap, said fastener releasably engaging said pocket when said flap is positioned to cover said entrance.
 6. A travel suitcase assembly for separating clean clothes from dirty clothes, said assembly comprising: a suitcase having a first portion being hingedly coupled to a second portion, said first portion having a top edge defining an opening into said first portion, said second portion having a top wall and a perimeter wall extending away from said top wall, said perimeter wall having an inside surface and a bottom edge defining an opening into said second portion, said top edge of said first portion having a back side, said bottom edge of said perimeter wall having a rear side, said rear side being hingedly coupled to said back side, said top edge abutting said bottom edge when said suitcase is closed; a first closure being coupled to said first portion, said first closure extending around a substantial perimeter of said top edge of said first portion; a second closure being coupled to said second portion, said second closure being matable to said first closure when said suitcase is closed to inhibit said suitcase from opening, said second closure extending around a substantial perimeter of said bottom edge of said perimeter wall; a divider being integrated into said second portion of said suitcase such that said divider defines a primary storage compartment in said suitcase when said suitcase is closed wherein said primary storage compartment is configured to store clean clothing, said divider defining a secondary storage compartment in said second portion being discrete from said primary storage compartment wherein said secondary storage compartment is configured to store dirty clothes, said divider being comprised of a translucent material wherein said divider is configured to facilitate the dirty clothing to be visible in said secondary storage compartment, said divider having an outer edge, said outer edge being bonded to said inside surface of said perimeter wall of said second portion, said divider being positioned between said bottom edge of said perimeter wall and said top wall thereby defining said secondary storage compartment between said divider and said top wall, said primary storage compartment being defined between said divider and a lower wall of said first portion when said suitcase is closed, said divider having a cut extending through said divider to access said secondary storage compartment, said cut extending substantially between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of said perimeter wall of said second portion; a third closure being movably integrated into said divider, said third closure being aligned with said cut, said third closure being positionable between an open condition and a closed condition for opening and closing said cut; a pocket being coupled to said divider wherein said pocket is configured to discretely store items, said pocket being positioned on a bottom surface of said top wall of said second portion such that said pocket is positioned in said secondary storage compartment, said pocket including a flap being movably integrated into said pocket, said flap being positionable to cover an entrance into said pocket, said flap being positionable to expose said entrance; and a fastener being coupled to said flap, said fastener releasably engaging said pocket when said flap is positioned to cover said entrance. 